Heatwave

Written 19th July, 2006: As much as I like music, this is not about the late 70s disco group, Heatwave. I do like their music, though. Like so many people, I'm talking about the current heatwave in England. I still haven't gotten that comfortable with the whole Celsius bit. Have you? Do you prefer Celsius or Fahrenheit? Today, the temperature is expected to reach 36C, which is 96.8F, for those of you, like me, who still tend to think in Fahrenheit. It's possible a new record high in London might be reached. As Britain doesn't have much air conditioning, unlike America, people here tend to suffer more, in such hot periods. On talk radio, here, there is an almost endless stream of people moaning about the heat.
I love the hot weather. This is my favorite time of year. I have always loved summer. July is the month I was born and when I was a kid, it was still early in the summer vacation from school, with August yet to go. Back home, in New York, temperatures like this are a normal part of summer. I prefer the warmth to the cold. In the cold, I have to spend money to get warm and my heating bills are higher. In the summer, my utility bill plummets. I don't have aircon, here, which is typical from British homes. I just open the windows on both sides of the house and let the breeze blow through the house. Another cooling tip I learned from my mother is to keep the curtains closed which blocks out the sunlight. The room seems to stay cooler with the sunlight blocked. Yesterday evening, I put my washing out to dry at 8:30PM and it was dry in less than two hours.
As I look out my bedroom window, the sky is completely clear and blue. There is a drought in Southern England, so there has been a ban placed on using garden hoses. The lawns in front of all the homes on my street are yellowed and dry. Considering that I have no money, I am in a fairly happy mood. On a sour note, I had my last hot dog for breakfast, today. When I did my last trip to the supermarkets, Saturday, neither Tesco nor Sainsbury's had hot dogs on sale, so I didn't buy any. I have ended up with one hot dog bun and no more hot dogs. I haven't been getting much work from the agency, lately, so I am eating more at home, rather than having free meals at restaurants I am working at. So, my hot dog consumption is up, while my income is down. Last week, I only had four hours of work all week. I think I will go downstairs and get some cold water to drink.